CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Ninth-ranked Miami (Fla.) ended its series with Virginia on a high note Sunday, capturing an 8-6 win against the host Cavaliers at Davenport Field.
In a game that was bumped to 10 a.m. ET due to impending weather, Miami jumped out to a 4-0 lead, fell behind 5-4, tied it 5-5 and eventually pulled back ahead by three runs - all by the end of the fourth inning.
But a strong effort from the Hurricanes' bullpen and a clutch two-out, three-run double by Willie Abreu in the fourth inning sealed the win for Miami, who remains in first place in the ACC's Coastal Division.
Veteran sidewinder Sam Abrams (1-0) entered with two outs in the fifth and struck out Virginia's Jack Gerstenmaier, thereby earning his first career win. Freshman Michael Mediavilla and sophomores Cooper Hammond and Bryan Garcia combined to pitch the final four innings and allowed just one hit.
Garcia celebrated his 20th birthday with his ninth save of the season, pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
For the first time in the series, the Hurricanes jumped out to an early lead by plating three runs in the first inning.
A single, a Virginia error and a walk loaded the bases for Zack Collins, who was credited with an RBI when Cavaliers starter Brandon Waddell walked in a run to make it 1-0. Junior David Thompson then lifted a two-RBI single into rightfield to build Miami's lead to 3-0.
Waddell (2-4) would limit the damage, however, retiring the next three batters in a row to strand a pair of Miami runners.
CANES WIN! pic.twitter.com/E7LZvo4KvP
— Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) April 19, 2015
The Hurricanes (30-11, 15-6 ACC) made it 4-0 in the second when junior George Iskenderian cracked an RBI triple into the right-center gap.
But the Cavaliers (24-13, 9-12 ACC) quickly erased Miami's sizable lead with a five-run second inning. Two-RBI singles from Jack Gerstenmaier and Daniel Pinero off Miami starter Enrique Sosa tied the game 4-4, and a sacrifice fly from Pavin Smith gave the hosts their first lead of the afternoon.
Miami came right back with a run of its own in the third, tying the game on a two-out RBI single from Christopher Barr that plated Thompson, who walked to open the inning.
The Hurricanes regained the lead in the fourth thanks to the bases-clearing double from Abreu, who continued his hot streak at the plate with a hit off the leftfield wall. Abreu, who tied a career high with four hits Saturday afternoon, extended his hitting streak to seven straight games with the double.
Abreu led all Miami hitters with seven hits on the weekend.
